Extended Charade
by LoBot24
Summary: Clark and Lois on the rooftop of The Planet, the question posed. Will there be an answer?


The end of the rooftop scene from Charade, served as inspiration.

Disclaimer: My writing is like the daily horoscope, for entertainment purposes only.

**Extended Charade:**

Lois Lane and Clark Kent both stood atop the Daily Planet building, tension seemed to

have thickened the very air between them. It was supposed to have been a night of

romance, but with events of the last day still weighing heavily between them, romance

wasn't the first thing on their minds. A question had been put out there, one that waited

for a reply. Clark had just asked if he was enough for her. Her eyes shifted off him to

search the Metropolis night, hoping it held the answer. She took in the lights that Clark

had strung up, obviously, he had wanted to set the mood. A mood they wouldn't be able to

capture. Returning her gaze to him, she saw the pensive look on his features. She was

sure he would see a similar look on hers. "Look, Clark." clenching her fist at her side,

she continued. "I waited, wished, hoped even prayed that you'd move past Lana and see

me. Even though I have enough emotional baggage of my own to open up a store, I will

always be loyal, fiercely protective, and …loving." Lois took a deep breath. She rushed

on, not even seeing his reaction to those words. "When we finally happened, I couldn't

believe it. It seemed too good to be true, but the more time we spent, I began to trust what

I think I knew all along. How right we are." Clark sensed it, and said it, "But…?"

Sighing, Lois nodded and went on, "But, there's The Blur. The phone call, I don't

know…she paused. "It felt like it was something he had to do, not what he wanted to do.

Clark caught himself almost nodding his head. "Maybe someday, Lois said, then shook

her head, No, he definitely made it sound final. It's just…"she trailed off. Looking over to

Clark with sorrowful eyes, "Now that he doesn't want my help, I,..I.." trailing off once again.

"You feel lost." Clark supplied. She gave him another nod, "Yeah, no job, now no more

super extra-curricular activities." They both looked away for a moment. Clark found

himself looking over at the table for two he had set up earlier in the evening. That already

felt like a lifetime ago. The sound of Lois' voice brought him back to what she had started

to say. "You know though, that's his loss." Injecting a brave soldier tone of voice. With

a slightly wry smile, she said, "For someone who works with words for a living, I am

incredibly lousy at stringing them together at times like these. Clark, let me ramble just a

little bit more." Clark gave her a look of understanding.

"Smallville, you could do or be anything in this world." Her eyes widening adding

emphasis to her words. "I've never seen anyone who tries as hard as you do to bring such

good to everything and everyone he can. "For all I know you might be as much of a hero as

The Blur." He saw her shoot him an odd look. The Blur, he thought. This really was a

triangle built for two. Maybe it was time to do something about that, he was tired of

competing with his self. Stranger still to be envious of your own self. Clark felt his jaw

relax, he hadn't been aware that he had been keeping it clenched this entire time. Clark

could tell by the expression on her face, that she was searching for just the right words

to tell him how she was feeling. So, he waited patiently for her to continue, and she did.

"Clark, there is so much I don't know, not sure of, have no idea about, but I _know _that

you are the one for me. Lois closed her eyes, " I'm afraid the better question is,

am I enough for you?" Lois kept her eyes closed, lowering her head afraid of what

Clark's answer might be. When Clark saw her lower her head, he swore he would never

make her feel this way again. He had been a fool to push her away from The Blur, in

in a misguided effort to keep her safe. She had shown time and time again, that she

not only needed to know everything about him, she deserved to know. Lois could

hear her own heart threatening to thump out of her chest. He still wasn't saying

anything. Lois opened her eyes and slowly raised them to meet his. She sucked in

her breath at the expression on his face. His eyes were shining, with the most

gentle and loving of looks upon his face. "Lois, you are everything to me." He

moved closer. "I haven't always shown you, but that _is _how I feel." Lois felt a

tear begin to work its way down her cheek. Clark took a deep breath, and knew

what he wanted to say. "We thought we could keep secrets from each other, because we

thought we had the kind of relationship that could take it. We don't." He took another

step closer. "No more secrets, Lois . Stepping closer still. "I won't keep this one from

you any longer." He reached out and took her by the shoulders, staring deeply into her

eyes. "Lois, I _am_ The Bl… " Suddenly, there was the awful groan of metal that had been

compromised. The Daily Planet globe that had rotated high above Metropolis for so many

decades, could no longer do so, as it was now falling, falling toward them. In the split

second before he went into action, Clark saw the dark-coated figure of Zod as he flew off

into the night. Clark would deal with him later, right now the only thing that mattered was

to save Lois. In one fluid motion, and as gently as he could, Clark threw Lois behind him.

A curious thing then happened. He felt a sort of weightlessness, as he rose up to meet the

falling globe. He caught it with relative ease, and with the metal structure above his head,

he moved it back to its pedestal, using heat vision to weld it back into place.

He chanced a glance down at Lois, who had gotten to a sitting position, watched him with

this amazed look on her face. Clark, thankful that she appeared unharmed, checked to be

sure that the Daily Planet globe was holding, and it seemed to be. Clark still felt that

weightless sensation, realization began to take hold, he looked down at his feet, which

were definitely quite a bit above the Planet's rooftop. He was floating. Really floating.

He had floated many times in his life, but even after his training with Jor-El, flight still

didn't seem possible. But, this, this felt different. Could he….the thought trailed off in his

mind. He visualized what he wanted to do, and as soon as he connected the visual with the

willpower to make it happen, Clark flew. He went around the globe several times. Going

faster and faster with each pass. He caught sight of his reflection in the polished surface,

the joy on his face was unmistakable. He was flying at last! He flew up and away from

the Daily Planet, all of his considerable senses on overload. The one power he thought

he'd never have, now that he could achieve flight, knew it'd be the one ability he'd enjoy

the most. This all bubbled out from deep inside him, he gave a cry of excitement. He

could FLY! How he wished his Dad could experience this moment with him, and just wait

until Mom could see him! Oh, Lois! With that, he turned in midair, and swooped back

down to her. Lois had been trying to get back up on her feet, just as he touched back down

beside her. "Clark." she said, still trying to find her voice. Clark helped her to stand up, as

he x-rayed her for any possible injuries. Luckily, she wasn't hurt, but now she

looked pale. As if it all had caught up with her. He couldn't imagine what she was

thinking, this wasn't quite the way he thought she'd find out. "Lois? Are you alright?"

She moved some hair out of her eyes, and looked up at him, letting out a shaky breath,

"Guess I can't call you Smallville, anymore." Even then, he almost had to smile. For that

was at least the third time she had said that to him. "Lois, don't ever stop calling me

Smallville, it's one of the most human things you could ever say to me." Lois who had been

rubbing her rapidly stiffening neck, let out a short laugh. "Don't worry, you could be from

another planet and you'd still be my Smallville." Clark gave Lois a look that caused her to

cock her head to the side. Clark thought it was time to go 'all in', "Actually..," Clark

then trailed off. Lois had caught the inflection. "Seriously?" Her eyes opened a bit wider,

"Another planet?" Clark nodded. "It's a long story, but one that I want to tell you about."

So he did. On the way down the elevator from the Daily Planet rooftop, and in Lois' car, as

Clark drove them back to Smallville, to finally the Talon apartment. He told of his home

world Krypton, and what had become of it; how his birth parents sent their only child

towards Earth, in hopes of ensuring the survival of both he, and their race. How he and the

Kent's found one another. What they all went through with the discovery of each of his

abilities. What all he had to hide and lie about himself, especially to the people he was

close to. He told her of the times she actually learned his secret, only to have those events

erased from her memory. He told her of how he used what he could do to save the people

that he cared for, and how Oliver had helped him to understand that with his powers,

he could help even more people. How that led to being the various versions of The Blur,

and how he was slowly figuring out his destiny and what to do about it. He looked over to

Lois, who hadn't asked one single question. Hadn't even said a word. He realized she

hadn't been listening with a reporter's mind, but rather, with the heart of someone who

cared deeply for him. That meant more to him than anything else. Lois, who had been

clutching a pillow to her as she had listened to his story, put it aside, and murmured,

"What could be more human." She looked him more fully in the eyes, seeing the

questioning look on his face, she attempted to clarify. "Clark, what you just described, that's

what we all go through." Leaning forward, she took his hand in hers. "Everyone tries to

figure out what they are supposed to do with their lives. Some know early on, others, it

it takes much longer. Ok, so most of us don't have to also deal with super powers on top of

everything else, but you've found your calling. To watch out for all of us as much as you

can, because Lord knows we need it." and then Lois started to laugh, "Clark! You can

fly!" She got up on her knees on the sofa, excitement visible across her features, "And, I

made you drive me home!" Her expression bordered on the bemused, shaking her head.

Clark could relate, and said, "It's new to me too, Lois. I think it would be a good idea to go

slow with this one, until I'm sure I've got it mastered. Lois looked at him appraisingly,

"Still, could be handy getting to work in the mornings." Clark laughed and reached for her,

arranging her so that her back was to his chest. "You aren't going to start calling me

Air Kent, are you?" Lois snorted, "Who me? I wouldn't dream of it." Lois waited a beat

before adding, "Though, Flying Farm boy does have a certain ring to it." Clark shook his

head and said, "What am I going to do with you?" Lois stilled for a moment, "I guess that

leads us back to the start of this crazy night." Clark felt the tension in her body. He

pressed a kiss into her hair, hoping to reassure her. "You know, I am sorry to have kept

this from you for so long. There will probably be times when this life will get to be too

much, that we will have to deal with together. As for you being enough for me?" He

tightened his arms around her slightly, and said in a low voice, " I don't think I could be

the type of hero the world needs without you by my side. For all my abilities, I realize

that you just might be my greatest power." He felt Lois shift in his arms. He heard her

whisper, "Smallville." Clark smiled, he truly loved when she called him that. He held her

close. Both of them were enjoying a new depth of feeling and understanding in their

relationship. So much so, that neither noticed the pair of red and glowing eyes that

hovered outside the Talon apartment window.

~fin


End file.
